Landscape Aspect Ratio: I have a Canon 6d Mark ii with a 24-105 lens. I am just starting into landscape photography and see some info on camera aspect Ratio settings. So, first off...

Keith S Loc: Federal Way, Wa

I have a Canon 6d Mark ii with a 24-105 lens. I am just starting into landscape photography and see some info on camera aspect Ratio settings. So, first off what is the most used ratio, and is it standard practice to change the camera setting before taking the image?

Thanks for your guidance in advance.

Keith S.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

If you change the aspect ratio in camera, you're just throwing away pixels. I'd leave it at the natural 3:2 ratio, and try to leave a little "breathing room" around your subject, so you can subsequently crop it to the ratio of your choice later in post-processing.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Good advice by DWU2. I have always liked the look of 3:2 for landscapes because of 35 mm film days.

I believe all dslrs are 3:2 native so that is likely most used, but certainly there are people who crop to fit an 8x10 or 11x14 frame after the fact (why "breathing room" in your composition is important) or who like the 16:9 of a panorama.

Also, more cameras (e.g. MILC) continue to come on the market with 4:3 sensors, so maybe that will soon overtake 3:2 as most used

For those who aren't familiar, 3:2 aspect prints as 4x6, 8x12, 16x24, 20x30 with no cropping.

bleirer

I recently did an informal online survey of the most common standard print sizes to match up to readily available precut mat openings and common standard frame openings to match those, and images in 3:2 and 1:1 ratios were the most common. 3:4 and 4:5 we're next in line but by a lot.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

bleirer wrote:

I recently did an informal online survey of the most common standard print sizes to match up to readily available precut mat openings and common standard frame openings to match those, and images in 3:2 and 1:1 ratios were the most common. 3:4 and 4:5 we're next in line but by a lot.

I love 1:1 for single flower blossoms and similar, seems restrictive for landscape though

bleirer

Linda From Maine wrote:

I love 1:1 for single flower blossoms and similar, seems restrictive for landscape though

Me too, unless you define landscape more broadly I guess.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I just shoot everything in the camera's native aspect ratio.

Keith S Loc: Federal Way, Wa

Wow, thank for all the wonderful guidance. I will leave it at 3:2 for landscape. Of course I will have to wait for the release from the stay at home ordinance here in Puget Sound.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

DWU2 wrote:

If you change the aspect ratio in camera, you're just throwing away pixels. I'd leave it at the natural 3:2 ratio, and try to leave a little "breathing room" around your subject, so you can subsequently crop it to the ratio of your choice later in post-processing.

IDguy Loc: Idaho

Don’t ignore pans for Landscape. I often also crop to 9x14.

repleo Loc: Boston

I always shoot at 3:2 ratio, but then I crop it in PP to suite the composition. If the composition lends itself to it, I like 16:9 for landscapes because it fits better on my computer screen or TV which is where I mostly enjoy my pictures.
However, 16:9 displays as a very small image when posting here on UHH. Portrait aspect appears much bigger than landscape.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

I also shoot everything 3:2 and leave myself a little crop room. And, the crops are whatever makes the image look the best regardless of the ratio.

wds0410 Loc: Nunya

Keith S wrote:

I have a Canon 6d Mark ii with a 24-105 lens. I am just starting into landscape photography and see some info on camera aspect Ratio settings. So, first off what is the most used ratio, and is it standard practice to change the camera setting before taking the image?

Thanks for your guidance in advance.

Keith S.

I have the same equipment as you and always shoot 2x3 and then crop as needed in post.

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

Having stayed with M43 for more than a decade, I have come to really appreciate the 4 x 3 format. It is so useful for portraying a deeper foreground to background, instead of a wider strip shape dictated by a horizon which so often seems to be the main subject.

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

Linda From Maine wrote:

Good advice by DWU2. I have always liked the look ... (show quote)

Hi, Linda,

Your admonition that “...breathing room" in your composition is important”
ought, IMO, be embossed in the frame of every camera’s viewfinder!

My dad often reminded me to “leave some room” and I’ll find several images within that solitary one I thought I had made! I do so wish he had lived to experience the digital revolution and the miracle of raw capture.

Dave